Media Credit: Christin Palazzolo The Oregon club baseball team went 2-1 against Western Washington last weekend, gaining a one-game lead over the Vikings in the league standings.

The Oregon club baseball team (18-5 overall) is notorious for starting slow. Ask any of the players, and they'll roll their eyes and tell you they have been known for starting games flat, and how it gets them into trouble. This weekend against Western Washington University that bug finally caught up with them as they lost the first game of the three-game series, snapping a string of 14 straight victories that started over spring break.

"We've been known for coming out of the box slow, and that's something we need to fix," senior Bryan Hansen said. "Once playoffs start, we won't be able to spot the other team a three or four run lead."

Kyle Knapp started the opening game, after being moved up in the usual rotation because pitcher Bennett Frazier was gone for the weekend. Knapp allowed an early two-run home run and two runs in the third to give Western Washington a 4-1 lead. After Oregon pulled within two runs in the fifth, Knapp gave up another run in the seventh to increase the lead back to three. In the bottom of the seventh the team's rally fell through after two guys struck out with runners at second base. The 5-2 defeat gave the Ducks their first conference loss and put them into a tie with the Vikings for first place.

Coach Kenny Swartwout was disappointed with the way the Ducks played the first game, saying they played uninspired.

"They (the Vikings) just wanted it more. We had a lot of bat at-bats, and we gave them way too many easy outs."

Oregon's bats were quiet, getting only two runs on four hits. They've failed to score 10 runs only once in league play, and that came in a 5-1 win over Seattle University two weeks ago.

With Hansen on the mound in the second game, the Vikings again jumped to a two run lead, but this time the Ducks responded with two of their own to tie. After Western Washington added another in the second, Quentin Clark was ejected in the bottom of the inning for arguing a called third strike. Hansen rallied the team, and he struck out the side to start an Oregon comeback that saw the team score 12 runs to beat the Vikings 14-3 by virtue of the 10-run rule. Cam Gaulke led the revival, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Brad Terada added two hits and four RBIs.

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